Stretcher for hosiery driers



March 27, 1934. J PRIDHAM r AL 1,952,511

STRETCHER FOR. HOSIERY DRIERS Filed Dec. 9, 1932 I I5. 4 W mm 3 JMMZ Attorm' Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED. Y STATES STRETCHER FOR HOSIERYDRIERS John Henry Pridham and James Clarence Pridham,- Toronto, Ontario,Canada Application December 9, 1932, Serial o. 646,394

4 Claims. (01. 223-17) The invention appertains in particular tostretchers for hosiery driers, but it is also susceptible of use indrying many other articles.

Hosiery drying forms in which internal heat is supplied are widelyemployed today as a part their original leg length.

The present invention comprehends a simple and exceedingly serviceablestretcher which in practice has proven to be of great commercial valueto a laundry due to the facility with which hosiery can be dried andsimultaneously restored to leg size.

According to the present invention stretching takes place automaticallyupon the application of the device and a distinctive advantage of itsadoption results in that each leg of a pair of socks is made to exactlycorrespond to one another.

The invention substantially consists of jaw members hinged together andadapted to girth a heated form so that the article upon the form will begripped uniformly around its circumference by wire tufts with which thejaws are internally faced. The jaws are drawn down the form by weightsto stretch the attached articles as they become elastic due to heating.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steam-heated form depicting theinvention fitted about a hose for drawing it down on the form as itdries.

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section of the wire tuft by which the hose is held.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the jaws.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of thefigures throughout the drawing of the invention.

The reference character 5 denotes a conventional heated form for dryinghose.

The form is supported upon a table 6 and steam is admitted into itsinterior through a pipe '7 and returned by way of the pipe 8. A sock 9is shown on the form-by Way of illustration.

The stretcher preferably comprises a pair of incurvate members 10 and 11adapted to encircle 5 the sock form. The members are pivoted or hingedto each other at 12 by means of knuckles 13. The pivotal pin 14 isdisposed as far from the said form as conveniently possible in order toenable the members 10 and 11 to swing away from each other onsubstantially parallel lines in the initial opening movement.

The members are faced internally with tufts of wire 14', 14" to engageand grip the hose uniformly around its girth. The tufts are composed ofa multiplicity of short fine wires bent at an angle as at 15 in thedirection of the pull on the hose in order to increase the grip upon it.The jaws, composed of the members 10 and 11 and the tufts 14', 14", arefree to open and close by means of the hinge 12. It is preferable toprovide the jaws with interfitting lugs 16 that prevent them frombecoming relatively askew.

The tufts are formed of stretcher fillet which consists of a flexiblecanvas back 17 from which the wires protrude. The stretcher fillet isdetachably secured in the jaw members by the provision of channel-shapedslots 18 in which the backs 17 are inserted. This enables the stretcherfillet to be readily removed and replaced. Each jaw has an outwardlyextending handle 19 by which it may be manipulated. The handle may becast integrally with the jaws and enables them to be easily opened andclosed.

The jaws are also supplied with pierced cars 20, one upon each side ofthe form. The cars are attached to a flexible element 21 that extendsdownwardly to and through the table to a weight 22. This weight appliesthe necessary tension on the jaws to stretch the hose.

In the use of this device, upon placing the hose to be dried upon theform the jaws are grasped by the handles 19 in order to close them aboutthe cuff of the hose. The wire tufts uniformly catch in the hose aroundits girth thus securing an even grip upon it. The weight exerts a steadypull on the jaws causing them to stretch the hose as it becomes heated.The jaws are opened to remove them from the hose and are allowed to reston the table until the next hose is placed upon the form.

The stretcher is particularly easy to manipulate. It can be quicklyattached and removed from the hose on the form. The stretching isautomatic and the degree to which the article is stretched is regulatedby the weight.

It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the constructionand arrangement of the device without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention, and it is therefore not intended to limit it tothe precise disclosure of the obs preferred construction set forth inthe accompanying drawing.

What we claim is:-

1. A stretcher for a drying form of the class described comprisingcomplementary gripping jaws, said jaws being interconnected and beingfree of physical connection with the form, short closely-disposed wiresproviding a facing for the jaws for engaging a textile article on theform, and means for urging the jaws along the form in a direction tostretch the article.

2. A stretcher for a drying form of the class described comprisingcomplementary gripping jaws adapted to circumpose the form, said jawsbeing interconnected and being free of physical connection with theform, a multiplicity of resilient gripping elements providing aninternal fac ing for the jaws, and means for urging the jaws along theform in a direction to stretch the article.

3. A stretcher for a drying form of the class described comprising apair of arcuate jaws for disposition about the form, said jaws beinghinged to each other, and being free of physical connection with theform, short closely-disposed Wires providing an internal facing for theindividual members for engaging a textile article on the form, and meansfor urging the members along the form in a direction to stretch thearticle.

4. A stretcher for a form of the class described comprisingcomplementary members adapted to fit about the form, said members havingchannelshaped slots interiorly disposed, stretcher fillets having backfitted in said slots, and means for urging the members along the form.

JOHN HENRY PRIDHAM. JAMES CLARENCE PRIDHAM.

